Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



Dec. 21 1926.

Y L. R. ALLISON RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed June s 1925 mvENTo:

mame,

D NNE mkm Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

v'LEsLIE R. ALLIsoN, or LA onossE,qwiscoNsiN, AssGNoR v'roffrHE `UNIoN swI'rcH sa SIGNAL COMPANY, or swIssvALE, PENNSYLVANIA, 'A lCORPORATION 0E PENN- Y sYLvANIA. y

f EAILwAY-TRAEEIG-CQNTEOLLING AiPARATus.

g ,ppnsaaon fiied'iuri 8,1925. seriailNo. 35,561'. f

My invention relates to railway traiiic controlling apparatus, and4 particularly to apparatus of the type comprising train car..

- ried governing means controlled in accordance -with traihc conditions.

l I will describe two formsof apparatiisrem-` Y bodying my'invention, and will then point 'out the novel featuresthereofi'n claims.V

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. lgis a diagrammatic view showing. VoneV vformV of railwayT trailic controlling `apparatusfemb 'odyingmy invention.v Fig. 2 is a'lview showing a'modi'ied form ofthe apparatus illustrated in Fig. land alsoembodying. my invention. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in both views.

Referring first to'Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a pipe 1 normally supplied with.`

fluid pressure, usually air, andarrangedto Y applythe brakeswhen the pressure in vthis pipe is reduced. Y Under normal conditions pipe 1 isfconnected through a cut-out valve C and pipe 9 with an application valve D.

Valve D CoIilPi'iSeS a .Valve body 10 omai-n" ing a plunger 11 controlled by trafiic condi-,

tions in advance by kmeans 4forming no part ot present inventionand omitted-from the drawing inder safe traiic conditions vplunger 11 is drawn upwardly, thereby disconnecting pipel 9 from port 12 which is in communication n 29,v thereby connecting pipe 26`with pipe 32.

with atmosphere. When'tratiic conditions in advance are dangerousand the speed of the train is above a predetermined' maXimum plungerillis moved downwardly and. P1P through port 12. It will :be plain that when e 9 is then connected with atmosphere tive orifice 7. A piston 3 has its lower faceexposed to the pressure in y cylinder 6 and is normally 'biased toa lower position by -a spring 4. Piston?) carries a valve 5 ywhich is arranged to close pipe 1 when piston is.

moved to its upper .position butto connect pipe 1 with ypipe 9 when piston 3` occupies .its lower positionl under the influence' of springa. The lcut-out. valve C is Controlled for the sake of simplicity.Y

ciprocable piston 'y 16'." A spring 21 `constantly urges the piston 16 to its right hand position, but fluid pressure supplied to the pressure chamber tlirough'pipe 19 from some suitable sourcenot shown in thel drawing,

normally urges the piston 16 to the left' against the pressure exerted by spring 21. The piston 16 operates a slide valve `2O.

,When piston 16 is in its left hand position x valve 2O kconnects a 'reservoir K through pipes 26 and 25, `port 23 and pipe 22 with asource of fluid pressure not shown in the drawing. VVVhen'piston 16 'is moved to the right,` as will beeXplained hereinafter, reser-` `voir K is disconnected from pipe 22 and is connected through pipes 26 and 25, port 23 with pipe 8. Pipe S is vconstantly connected.

with operating cylinderv 6 of cut-out valve C and is also constantlyconnected, through pipe 27, with operatingv chamber 17 of' repeater valve fB. 'i -V y The acknowledging valve A comprises a valveV body 2S containin a valve v29 which is normally heldin its c osed position by a spring V,81. -^Vhen the pivoted'handle BO'is moved toward the left a piston 33 ismoved against the bias of a spring 31' to open valve Pipe 32 communicates with A the operating chambernl of valve D and with pipe 27, which has already been.. described.

As shown in the drawing all parts of the apparatus are illustrated in their normal conditions, that is', application valve D1 is closed, and acknowledging valve A is also closed. The operating cylinder 6 'of valve C is connected with atmosphere through'port 7 so that piston 3 of valve C is in its lower position allowing communicationV between.

so i

pipes 1`andr9. Operating chamber 17 ot valve. Bx is 'also connected to Vatmosphere through pipesk 27-and 8 and port 7 so-that piston 16 of valve'B is held in its left. hand position against thebias of spring 21"by pressure in chamber 18. Reservoir K is.v

therefore charged with fluid pressurel from pipe 22. If,'under theseconditions,application v alveV is opened, pipe 1 vented to atmosphere through valve C, pipe 9 end port l2 finden zipplioationof the brakes results.

If, however,y prior-to' the openiii'oif valve lD;

handle of acknowledging valve A is opervor KYthrouel'lirrwireli 29, 'and Pipe 32 With the opera-ting chamber loi' valve B. At the saine time pressurepronr reservoir K is supplied through pipe 27 and pipe 8 to the operating cylinder 6 Vof velve C; This pres sure in .operating cylinder 6 Inoves piston 3 Yup'u'fnrdly und closes pip/el'. It Iwill beplziin kthat opezningo valve D .can riovv helve no;

elect upon the b rlr'es. yThe;pressure supvoir K together with thel torce exerted'upon disconnectedjfroin pipe 32'( But reservoir li fis y newconnected directly With pipe 8, so' that piston y1 6 remains in itsright hand posiupper positionV ltoV prevent en sutoinitie application oi the brakes should valve D be opened. TheV pressure in reservoir K gradually dissipated .to Yzitinosphere through expiration of a, time intervl the pressure in chamber@ is so reduced that springi returns piston 3 to its lowerpositionland thebrtlres will then he applied ifvalve D is open. The pressurein chamber of Avelve is valso educ'edloy dissipationthrough orifice? `in valve G and afterthe expiration of the time intervl inentioned above the pressure in Chamber 17v isuso reduced that the loee enertedhy vpressure in ehu'nihei 18 restores piston 16 to its lefthundposition 'i'gainst th'e icoin'bined force of spring '21' .und the reduced Vpressure existing in, clieinloer 17, This niotionof piston 16 `vdis'connects the reservoir-K from pipe `8 end gain Voc'ii'iiects the, reservoir vwith pipe 22. lhe `tippinzitiis istherefore automatically restored to its initial condition.

Referring 'now to Fig. 2 tl'ie out-out -vtilve 'C and thettpplication valve ere the Vseine er i Yl, be@ the Peer Italie B z tenlcedpb rel@ ,Bf llQ-*'Qltedh 'the Theacknowledging:valve`c afvei v@metallic,.SClOSed, l?? Ae.*lfr5'1'f lglduff be 'Greuelbygiwetii f ha'iiated7 the openingof valve29 connects rese r-.

Q lll.

the restricted oriliee 7 valvel C. Alfter the and modifications may be iliade therein With- Vnected 'through pipe 26 and port 39 with valve 29,7 and pipe 26 also oo lnmunicetesvfith two' ports38' and 40 controlled by piston Fluid pressure is supplied to' thev left hond' face of piston throngh'pipe 37, andthe. right `handside of piston' 35 is connected' with pipe '8. A port 34"eornrnuiiieatingv vvith pipe 8 is connected to the right hand side ol: valve 29. Y V

Under normal conditions, that is when valve 29. is closed, reservoir K is disoonnettedv troni pipe 8', so that pistonl' oi' cutout vellvc-i C is in its lower position; Under these' conditions iluid' pressure from pipe 37 holds piston 35 tov th'e` 1i'ht thereby. uncoven ing port 38 and supplying pressure to' reser- Voir K. ilfh'ei'iIv hr'idley 3() of valve A' is oper-v etedf'to openV vfst'lveQQ, Vpressure 'flows' roin reservoir K through' pipe' 26v and port 39, velv'e 2 9, port 3ft" indA pipev Stoy operating cylinder 6 of 'valve @,thereby moving piston 3 of valve' C upwardly to' Close pipe l. At'the sein-e time (pressure thus supplied' to *pipe 8 eo'inhinfes with spring 86 to' move piston 35 to the lett, thereby dise'onnecting reservoir l fronrpipe 87 and connecting this reservoir directly with pipe 8 through port 40. lWhen handle 30 of valve A is released piston 35 is re vined in its left heln'd position by pressurel from reservoirY K until this pressure vis dissi parted to atmosphere through orilice 7 01"' vzilve C. Alter the tiine interval required for. this reduction in the' pressure in reservoir K, piston 3 oivfgtlve C i's'restore'd toits lower position by springe', sind piston 35 oic valve B is restored to its right hund position by pressure from pipe 37. Vlhe parts of the apparatus are therefore yiuton1-zitioally restored yto their originel positions. i

In bothioims 4olf the epparetus herein showiiend described it. Will he vseen that operation oi lthe* vnclrnoivledging valveA ctuiites the cut-out valve C to render the automatic applicstion vlve D ineldectiveloi'V interval of time to 'ppiy tliebrslres. It will lso hev seen that' the apparatus is so rrnge'd that the aolrnou'fledging valve indy lll) he inuneilidtely released and tlitt the out-oui vl've Vfvi'l'l ietiirn to its initial position until 'theeqjirtion o a liXed time inte'rvvl.

One 'dvnt'ge ofthis feature is that the engineman iniy acknowledge a change in tilideiiditions hv ninipul'tion of valve et his attention e/Xelusivelj 'to the operation ep it ieee de tothe sintomativcfillv 'restored to its initil .eondi-t-ion fitter of -ftinfie'jnervu-l independth'er attention oni-the prt or on I 7 iso .a manually operable valve for` connecting said reservoir with said fir-st valve auditor operating said'second valve tofdisconnect the reservoir from said source` and means incorporated in said first valve forv gradually reducing the pressure in said reservoir-iso that after the expiration of a time intervalv said second valve is restored to its initial condition. i

2. In combination, apparatus on va train tor causing an application ofthe brakes, automatic means for actuating such appa- 'ratus, a cylinder connected with atmosphere through a restricted orifice and containing a piston biased to a position in which said automatic means is effective 4to apply the brakes, a reservoir, a .first valve biased'to a position in which said reservoir is connected with a. source .ot fluid pressure, a manually operable self restoring valve for connecting said reservoir with said cylinder to move said piston into a position wherein said automatic means is ineffective to apply the brakes and for also connecting said reservoir with said first valve to disconnect said reservoir irom said source and to connect the reservoir directly with said cylinder. y y

3. In combination, apparatus on a train for causing an application'of the brakes, automat-ic means for actuating such apparatus, a cylinder connected with atmosphere througha restricted oriiice and containing aypiston biased to a position in which said automatic means is effective to apply the brakes, a valve comprising two chambers, a

reservoir, means for constantly supplying iiuid pressure vto one of said chambersy for. biasing said valve to a position in which said.V reservoir is connected with a source of fluid'Y pressure, and a normally closed manually operablevalve for connecting said reservoir i with said cylinder to move said piston into connected from said source and is connected aifecuy with `aai Y yiinaeimi y with Saa second chamber. Y

4. In combination,v a valve on a train for controllingy the. brakes and comprising an operating cylinder connected with atmospliere through a restricted oriiice, a reservoir, a second valve comprising two cham-vl bers separated by a vreciprocable piston, means for constantly supplying one of saidV chambers withpluid pressure so that the piston normally occupies one extreme position, a slide valve controlledby said piston and normally connecting said reservoirwith a source lot" Huid pressure, and a manually operable valve vfor connecting said reservoir with said operating cylinder and with'the second said chamberso that the piston is moved to its other extremev postion and the slide valve then disconnectsr said reservoir 'from said source and connects the reservoir directly with said operating cylinder.

5. In combination, a valve on a train for controlling the brakes and comprising an operating cylinder connected with atmosphere through a restricted'orice, areservoir, a second valve comprising an operating chamber constantly connected with said 0perating cylinder, said second valve normally connecting said reservoir with a source of Fluid pressure, and a manually operableV valveV `for at times connecting vsaid reservoir with said operating cylinder and` with said operating chamber so thatvsaid second valve operates to disconnect said reservoir from said source and to connect the reservoir directly with said operating cylinder and with said operating chamber. i

6. In combination, a valve on a train'for controlling the brakes and comprising an operating lcylinder connected with atmosphere through a restricted orifice, a reservoir, 'a second valve. comprising two chambers,y separated by a reciprocable piston, means for constantly supplying fluid. pressure to onesaid chamber, means for constantly connecting the other said chamber with said cylinder, a slide valve controlled position in which said reservoir is connectedl with said source and aimanually operable by said piston and-normally occupying aA ino valve for connecting said reservoir with the' operating cylinder of said irst valve and vwith said other chamber, whereby said pis.

ton is shifted to move they slide valve to' a different position in which said reservoir is connected directly with the operating cylinder of said first valve and-with said other chamber. l

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- LnsLiE n. iiLLisoi-i. 

